chukhua

Discover the Hidden World of Georgia’s Indigenous Languages

Did you know that around six million people in the world today speak one of the Kartvelian languages - a remarkable linguistic family found almost entirely within Georgia?

In this captivating and accessible study, Merab Chukhua takes readers on a journey through the Kartvelian linguistic landscape, introducing the languages and dialects that form the foundation of Georgia’s identity: Georgian, Laz-Megrelian, and Svan. These are not borrowed tongues, but indigenous languages of Georgia, evolving for millennia amid the mountains and valleys of the Caucasus.

At the heart of this family stands Georgian, the state language of our country - preserved in ancient literary texts and inscriptions that bear witness to centuries of written culture. But the story doesn’t end there.

The Georgian alphabet, a symbol of national unity, also served another fascinating role: from 1930 to 1938, it was used to print Megrelian-language newspapers and periodicals in Samegrelo, during a brief but significant period when Megrelian enjoyed a measure of cultural autonomy.

Meanwhile, a similar phenomenon unfolded in the Abkhazian region, where the Laz language had its own flourishing moment between 1927 and 1937. Today, the Laz-speaking community in Turkey continues to keep their language alive, using a Latin alphabet adapted for contemporary Laz - a testament to the resilience of Kartvelian languages beyond Georgia’s borders.

In The Kartvelian Languages, Chukhua presents this diverse linguistic world with clarity, warmth, and scholarly precision. The book brings to light numerous aspects of Kartvelian linguistics from a fresh perspective, shedding new insight on the evolution, interconnection, and cultural significance of these languages.

Written in a scientific-popular style, the book is accessible to both specialists and general readers, offering depth for linguists while remaining engaging for anyone fascinated by language, culture, or history.

Why You’ll Love This Book:

• It reveals how Georgia’s languages grew, intertwined, and survived through centuries of change.

• It connects language to identity, geography, and culture in an inspiring way.

• It’s compact, informative, and beautifully written - perfect for curious minds who want to understand Georgia at its roots.